Flexible or partly flexible gastroscope

ABSTRACT

A flexible gastroscope with a fiber-optical image conductor has a cylindrical distal head formed with a lateral viewing port next to an objective working into the image conductor, an adjoining lateral exit aperture for surgical implements, and a lateral illumination window just beyond that aperture. The illumination window leads into a chamber which contains two axially extending, laterally juxtaposed light sources, i.e. a U-shaped flash tube alongside the window and a lamp positioned to radiate through the flash tube and the window in series.

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bUBSTlTUTE FOR n lnvemor Herbert Schubert NG XR ,936,753 5/1960 Storzl28/6 7B4 Knittlingen, Schillerstrasse 3|. 2,975 785 3/1961 Sheldonl28/6 Gummy FOREIGN PATENTS No. 3133322 1969 1.51 L373 l2/l967 France123/6 [45] Patented July 20: 1971 Primary Examiner--Channing L. Pace[32] Priority Feb. 20, 1968 Attorney-Karl F. Ross Germany ['3 l] I W 41688 54 FLEXIBLE I 1 OR PARTLY FLEXIBLE ABSTRACT: A flexible gastroscopewith a fiber-optical image conductor has a cylindrical distal headformed with a lateral viewing port next to an ob ective working into theimage con- [52] U.S.C| 128/8 ducwr an adjoining lateral exit aperturefor surgical implei l merits, and a lateral illumination window justbeyond that [50] Field 0' S338!!! .M 128/6, 7, 8 apgrturg Theillumination window leads into a chamber which contains two axiallextendin laterall 'uxta osed [56] Rum-cums (med light sources, Le; aU-shape il flash tubs alongsid Kim Wl l 1dOW UNITED STATES PATENTS and alamp positioned to radiate through the flash tube and 2,867,209 l/l959Foures el al. 128/6 the window in series.

AIENTHJ JULPO mm Herberf Sch uberf lnvemor.

Attorney FLEXIBLE R PARTLY FLEXIBLE GASTROSCOPE The invention relates toa flexible or partly flexible gastroscope including a fiber-opticalimage conductor and an objective in front of a lateral viewing portjuxtaposed with an aperture serving for the controlled outward extensionof surgical implements such as probes and tongs, passing through thegastroscope, while a distal head member carries a lamp for illuminatingthe field of view through a window.

In order to obtain flexibility of gastroscopes over all or part of theirlength, it is known to extend a fiber-optical image conductor forobservation and a fiber-optical light conductor for illuminating thefield of view through the flexible casing while letting the light beamof an incandescent lamp impinge upon the forward or proximal end of thelight conductor. For taking photographic pictures, this incandescentlamp had to be encrgized with greater voltage in order to obtain anincreased illumination. Alternatively the increased light emission couldbe realized by triggering a proximally arranged electronic flash tube,whereby it was possible to take photographic pictures after theobservation.

However, neither of these known types of illumination, utilizingproximal light sources and fiber light conductors, is satisfactory forphotography, particularly for the taking of colored or moving pictures,since the fiber-optical light conductor must consist of a large numberof light-conducting fibers for adequate lighting whereby the diameter ofthe gastroscope is increased and the flexibility decreased to such anextent that, upon sharper bending, there is a danger of breaking thelight-conducting fibers.

Practice has shown that the known distal or rearward arrangement of anobservation lamp and an electronic flash tube will lead to the mostfavorable illuminating conditions when taking photographic pictureswhereby the fiber-optical light conductor extending through thegastroscope may be omitted so that merely the fiber-optical imageconductor remains thereby avoiding an increase of the gastroscopediameter. In this connection, however, it was hitherto necessary to useflash tubes which fully occupied the inner cross-sectional area of thedistal head so that the observation lamp and the flash tube had to belongitudinally spaced one behind the other beyond the viewing part andthe adjoining lateral aperture for the insertion of probes, tongs or thelike (German published Pat. application No. 1,047,375). According tothis arrangement the flash tube was spaced a relatively great distancefrom the viewing port, resulting in less favorable illumination.

Lately it has become possible to produce electronic flash tubes ofgreatly reduced dimensions for a given light intensity. In accordancewith the invention, I propose to arrange such a flash tube within adistal head of the above-mentioned gastroscope in laterally juxtaposedrelationship with an observation lamp just beyond the exit aperture forthe surgical implements or, if such an exit aperture is absent, directlybeyond the viewing port, the observation lamp radiating its lightthrough the flash tube and an adjoining illumination window. Thus it ispossible to arrange both the observation lamp and the electronic flashtube in the immediate vicinity of the outlet for the probes, tongs orthe like, next to each other, so that the illu mination is suitable forobservation as well as for taking photographs inasmuch as the light willradiate from the instrument at a location close to the field ofview.

One embodiment of the invention shown by way ofexample in theaccompanying drawing will now be described In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an axial sectional view through the distal end of agastroscope according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line llll in FlG. 1looking in a direction of the arrows including an electronic flash tube;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view along the line lll-lll in FIG. Ilooking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the electronic flash tube on a smaller scale.

According to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a fiber-optiealimggeconductor 1 extends through the flexible casing of the gastroscope e651a proximal ocular or eyepiece,

with or mm-3 m: or a film camera attached thereto distally, subsequentto which an objective 2 with a deflecting prism 3 is provided. Theobjective 2 may, for example, be shiftable in longitudinal directionwithin a passage 26 to allow sharp focusing. A lateral viewing port 5 isdisposed in front of the deflecting prism 3 in a rigid distal head 4 ofcylindrical shape through which the observation of the cavity of thebody is possible. A passage 6 extends through the gastroscope,terminating at the proximal or forward end in a lateral opening for theinsertion of probes, tongs or the like which may be guided laterally outof the endoscope by a guide member 7 and an exit aperture 8 of the head4. The distal end of these probes may be deflected, for example byproviding a slide 9 shiftable by a Bowden cable 10. The slide 9 may beconnected to the Bowden cable by a lateral projection which may be movedforwardly against the force of a pressure spring (not shown). Anotherpassage ll extending through the gastroscope merges rearwardly with thepassage 6. Air or gas may be introduced into the cavity of the bodythrough this passage 11. An insulating member 12 is arranged within thehead 4 distally beyond the guide 7 and the slide 9. The insulatingmember 12 and a spherical cap U of plastic material define a chamber 14serving to accommodate the illuminating means, this chamber beingprovided with a window 15 aligned with the exit aperture 8 and theobservation window 5.

According to the invention an observation lamp l6 and an electronicflash tube l7 are arranged within the head chamber 14 in laterallyadjoining relationship in such a manner that the observation lamp l6radiates its light through the flash tube 17 and the window 15 into thecavity of the body. The two terminals 18 of the electronic flash tubeprovided at'the ends of the legs of this tube, plug into jackets l9 and20 of the insulating member; conductors extending from these contactsleeves lead through the endoscope via the proximal gastroscope sectionto an electric energy source. The conventionally designed observationlamp 16 engages with its grounded terminal a base 21, located on theside remote from tube 17 and window [5, which in turn engages with acylindrical extension 22 and a lateral key 22a in a bore 23 with anaxially extending lateral groove for the key whereby the base 21 issecured against rotation. The other terminal of the observation lamp l6plugs into a socket 24 arranged in the insulating member 12 andcommunicates via a conductor, extending through the gastroscope, with anelectric energy source.

The electronic flash tube 17 is U-shapcd, its free legs with theirterminal plugs 18 being directed towards the insulating member l2, whilethe observation lamp 16 has a semicircular cross-sectional shape, as maybe seen in H6. 2, with a flat side facing the axially extending legsoftube 17.

The construction according to the invention allows the observation lamp16 as well as the electronic flash tube 17 to be mounted as closely aspossible to the observation window 5, whereby an especially favorableillumination of the body cavity is possible, both for direct viewing bymeans of the observation lamp and for taking photographic pictures bymeans of the electronic flash tube.

lfthc gastroscope is to be used for filming, the spherical cap 13 isremoved and the two elongate lamps l6 and 17 are extracted from theilluminating chamber 14, to be replaced by a single lamp of circularcross-sectional shape filling the entire cross section of the chamberand of sufficient illuminating intensity for filming. The groundedterminal of this lamp again engages with a cylindrical extension in theaxially extending bore 23 of the insulating member 12 while the lineterminal plugs into an additional socket 25 of the insulating member 12which is connected via an insulated conductor and a proximal terminal toan electric energy source.

It is also possible to insert, instead of a film lamp occupying theentire chamber 14, a lamp of smaller capacity developing less heat thenthe film lamp but furnishing a sufficient illumination for observationpurposes.

What I claim:

1. An endoscopic instrument comprising a generally cylindrical elongatehead having a chamber at one end, a lateral viewing port adjacent theother end and a lateral illumination window communicating with saidchamber; image-conducting means terminating at said viewing port andextending therefrom axially to said other end; and a pair oflaterallyjuxtaposed, elongate light sources extending axially withinsaid chamber alongside said window, one of said light sources beingpositioned close to said window, the other of said light sources beingdisposed remote from said window for radiating through said one of saidlight sources and said window in series.

2. An instrument as defined in claim 1 wherein said one of said lightsources is a generally U-shaped tube with legs extending axially of saidhead.

3. An instrument as defined in claim 2 wherein said other of said lightsources is a tube of generally semicircular cross section having a flatside facing said legs.

4. An instrument as defined in claim I wherein said head is providedwith a first axially extending passage for said imageconducting meansand with a second axially extending passage for the insertion of asurgical implement, said second passage 5 terminating in a lateral exitaperture between said port and said window.

5. An instrument as defined in claim 4 wherein said head includes aninternal insulating member interposed between said passages and saidchamber, said member forming sockets for said light sources included inan external energizing circuit therefor.

6. An instrument as defined in claim 5 wherein said other of said lightsources is provided with a base on the side remote from said window,said base being honrotatably plugged into one of said sockets and beingconductively connected with the last'mentioncd light source.

7. An instrument as defined in claim 1 wherein said one of said lightsources is a flash tube.

1. An endoscopic instrument comprising a generally cylindrical elongatehead having a chamber at one end, a lateral viewing port adjacent theother end and a lateral illumination window communicating with saidchamber; image-conducting means terminating at said viewing port andextending therefrom axially to said other end; and a pair of laterallyjuxtaposed, elongate light sources extending axially within said chamberalongside said window, one of said light sources being positioned closeto said window, the other of said light sources being disposed remotefrom said window for radiating through said one of said light sourcesand said window in series.
 2. An instrument as defined in claim 1wherein said one of said light sources is a generally U-shaped tube withlegs extending axially of said head.
 3. An instrument as defined inclaim 2 wherein said other of said light sources is a tube of generallysemicircular cross section having a flat side facing said legs.
 4. Aninstrument as defined in claim 1 wherein said head is provided with afirst axially extending passage for said image-conducting means and witha second axially extending passage for the insertion of a surgicalimplement, said second passage terminating in a lateral exit aperturebetween said port and said window.
 5. An instrument as defined in claim4 wherein said head includes an internal insulating member interposedbetween said passages and said chamber, said member forming sockets forsaid light sources included in an external energizing circuit therefor.6. An instrument as defined in claim 5 wherein said other of said lightsources is provided with a base on the side remote from said window,said base being nonrotatably plugged into one of said sockets and beingconductively connected with the last-mentioned light source.
 7. Aninstrument as defined in claim 1 wherein said one of said light sourcesis a flash tube.